Zulhas Praises Army Involvement in Waste Management Across Indonesia
Coordinating Minister for Food Zulkifli Hasan has praised the involvement of the Indonesian Army in supporting the acceleration of Waste to Energy (WtE) projects.
According to Zulhas, the Army’s involvement can strengthen the government’s efforts to tackle the waste problem, including reducing legacy waste piles that have filled a number of final processing sites (TPA).
“We also thank Mr Maruli (Army Chief of Staff), the Indonesian Army, who will help us to process the old waste. This waste is only newly arrived. In Bekasi City, there is newly arrived waste of 1,800 tonnes,” Zulhas said at the inauguration ceremony for the Bekasi City PSEL development on Wednesday (26/8/2026).
“But what has become mountains is a lot. Well, those mountains will be managed by the Army, and later there will be cooperation for pyrolysis, so it becomes oil,” he continued.
Zulhas even opened the door for the Army to be involved further in the government’s waste management programme.
“So if the Army wants to join, alhamdulillah, we will roll out the blue carpet. Quickly, immediately. We are grateful,” Zulhas said.
Zulhas also expressed appreciation for the Army’s support for various government programmes.
“So Mr Army Chief of Staff, we thank you. You help, you support, food is also supported by the Army and others,” Zulhas said.
“Including bridges, including rivers, clean water, and so on. Thank you very much,” he continued.
Army Chief of Staff General Maruli Simanjuntak explained that his institution is currently preparing to process legacy waste piles using pyrolysis technology. The technology is intended to process waste that has accumulated at landfill sites into synthetic diesel fuel.
“If we talk about pyrolysis, I think it is familiar everywhere. So if we talk about the pyrolysis process from here to here, it has been varied, even in villages many people have made it,” Maruli said.
However, according to Maruli, the main challenge lies not in the pyrolysis technology, but in how to process legacy waste piles that have been accumulating in various locations.
“The problem is how to resolve the old waste. What has been conveyed from the PSEL is waste that should not reach the existing waste disposal sites,” Maruli said.
“What we will process is the old waste piles,” he added.
Maruli said that sorting legacy waste is one of the challenges that has not been widely addressed so far. However, the Army together with development partners has prepared technology and schemes to handle the issue.
Maruli added that the project will take place in Bantargebang, Sumur Baru (Bekasi), Galuga (Bogor), Sarimukti (West Bandung), and Jatibarang (Semarang).
Maruli said that in this process, his team is still encountering various obstacles, ranging from the unavailability of land, the permitting process, to the sale of processed waste products that will become diesel.
“So the point is, if the permitting issues can be resolved, perhaps within one year these plants can operate, Sir. So we have been working on this since April, on the President’s orders, and until now we have not been able to secure the locations,” Maruli explained.
“If this can be completed, we will go at the latest within one year, the plant will be ready to process 1,000 tonnes of waste per day at each site,” he continued.
For information, the event was also attended by CIO of the Investment Management Agency (BPI) Danantara Pandu Patria Sjahrir, Army Chief of Staff Maruli Simanjuntak, West Java Governor Dedi Mulyadi, and President Director of PT PLN (Persero) Darmawan Prasodjo.